On the Table: Battlelore Second Edition

Continuing in our quest to get through the stack of games we got at the Asmodee holiday sale, we took on the two-player game Battlelore. In preparation, I watched a few videos and every time I heard “it’s a fantasy Memoir ’44” the more excited I got. I love me some Memoir ’44. And so does my wife so I knew she’d be eager to play which, of course, is a huge bonus.

When we opened up the box, there were a couple broken pieces but Asmodee very quickly replaced them. My limited experience with their customer service has been great. Very quick responses and shipping. To be completely honest, they missed replacing one of the two pieces but the one that wasn’t sent was only missing a small part of the tip of a sword. Not a big deal at all and it didn’t reduce our enjoyment of the game play.

Initial set up takes a little time but not as much as Memoir ’44. We played two games of the learning set up – which I highly recommend for new players. By only playing with the basic rules and only two unit types per player, we were able to get a great feel for the different phases and how the dice rolls affect play. Like most – maybe all? – Fantasy Flight games, the use of a rule book that has all the info you need to get playing quickly as well as a reference book for getting more info on specific things makes getting into the game quick and fairly easy. New players aren’t bogged down in pages and pages of information that they don’t really need. It makes playing games with lots of pieces and options much less intimidating.

Battlelore definitely lived up to the hype for us. We had a great time playing and can’t wait to get it to the table again. I love the idea of each player creating their own scenarios, armies, and terrain. Having the unit layouts remaining a secret adds even more excitement.

As much as I enjoy Memoir ’44, the fantasy miniatures, the variability of scenarios, and the addition of lore (magic) make this my family’s new go-to two-player war game. There are also so many expansions to keep it fresh and exciting.

You can slap the base game on your Amazon wishlist and watch for sales. It can be a bit pricey.